


i know my brother as i know my own mind.

by MostlyFandomTrash



Series: there's a reason they call it a tragedy. [4]
Category: Greek and Roman Mythology, Original Work
Genre: I'll stop with the tags now, Other, a real brotp, but this is NOT INCEST, it's incest and kinda digusting, seriously why do people ship these two?, this is just some brotherly love ramblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-25
Updated: 2018-10-25
Packaged: 2019-08-07 15:51:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16411430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MostlyFandomTrash/pseuds/MostlyFandomTrash
Summary: who am i to question the bond of brotherhood?or, the twins of the underground./(for @spooky_samhain bc they said to write hypnos and thanatos.)





	i know my brother as i know my own mind.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [spooky_samhain](https://archiveofourown.org/users/spooky_samhain/gifts).



**i know my brother as i know my own mind.**

 

/

01\. — _first_

thanatos is born first, he is small and still when he comes out of the womb, and has his father’s blackened eyes. hypnos waits only a few seconds before following his twin into the abyss they call home, smaller than his brother with his thumb already stuck in his mouth, fast asleep.

02\. —  _ final _

the taller twin grins down at his younger half, and taps the wooden sword against his chest, “you lose again, hyp.” / “one more round, than?” / “not a chance, that one was final,” the shorter twin glares at his older half, a frown on his face.

 

03\. —  _ broken _

he is still shaking when he lands on edge of the cliff that holds their home. hypnos watches as his brother’s legs give out from underneath him. thanatos watches as his brother stands in the window and does nothing to help. there is a reason why the butterfly’s wings are broken so easily.

 

04\. —  _ wings _

there is freedom in bone and skin and feathers. this is what they realize when they are two hundred years old and they fly clumsily around the realm of their father, of erebus and they laugh so loud it echoes. there is freedom in wings.

 

05\. —  _ melody _

thanatos hums the song quietly in the dead silence of their room. hypnos does not join in.

 

06\. —  _ rules _

“the rules are simple, little brothers,” eris grins wickedly and points a long, slender finger at the entrance to tartarus, far below them. “first one to the bottom wins.” / “you both know mother says we aren’t allowed down there.” / “come on, hypnos, are you always going to listen to mother?”

 

07\. —  _ heartbeat _

thanatos becomes still as he listens to his brother’s steadily increasing heart rate. the young god of death leans against the god of sleep’s back. “calm down, hypnos, it’s only a dream.”

 

08\. —  _ confusion _

“i do not understand.” / “neither do i.”

 

09\. —  _ bitter _

the bitter taste in his mouth has nothing to do with pomegranate stains on his fingers and everything to do with the fact that his twin is nowhere to be found.

 

10\. —  _ audience _

they did not expect an audience, nor did they want one, when they agreed to race. but, nevertheless, thanatos spotted at least four of hypnos’ friends on his side of the line.

 

11\. — _endless_

the distance between them seems almost endless until thanatos slams into his younger brother, knocking them both out the air with breathless laughs and just barely missing a newly sprouted tree as they slam into the earth.

 

12\. —  _ smoke _

the scent of smoke hits his nose before his brother ever enters his line of sight. “thanatos.” / “hypnos,” his brother responds, letting the cigarette drop into the deep of tartarus.

 

13\. —  _ wishing _

“i wish you well, brother.” / “you speak as if you are going somewhere.”

 

14\. —  _ birthday _

the older they get, the less they count the birthdays. but every year, there is something left in the window of the other’s home.

 

15\. —  _ oppression _

“why would you want to live in the underground? i hear it’s awful and dark and quite frightening.” / hypnos rolls his eyes, “why would you want to live in olympus? i hear it’s awful and bright and quite hideous to look at.”

 

16\. —  _ return _

“welcome home, my boys.” nyx smiles as her twins appear in front of her dwelling, “your father is not here.” / “we did not come to see father.” / “we came to see you.”

 

17\. — _protection_

death makes a growling noise in the back of his throat as the god of war strikes his brother. ares is thrown into the sky as zeus watches.

 

18\. — _hope_

“she makes you happy, i hope?” / “so much so, sometimes i think it’s not real.”

 

19\. — _lies_

“you’re a horrible liar, thanatos.” / “this, coming from the one who can’t sneak past eris?”

 

20\. — _underneath_

they sit in their queen’s garden underneath a tree with pomegranate stains on their fingers and sharp grins on their lips.

 

21\. — _hide_

“quick!” thanatos hissed, shoving his brother towards the doorway of their bedroom. “mother’s coming, hide!” / “this is all your fault and i’m telling her that when we get caught.”

 

22\. — _unforeseen_

“i told you this would happen.” / “you did no such thing.”

 

23\. — _clear_

“you are so clearly in love with her, my dearest twin.” / “i have scarce idea what you are talking about, thanatos.”

 

24\. — _foolish_

hypnos almost cursed in frustration. “you utter fool, why would you do something so stupid?” / thanatos laughed. “it made you feel better about pasithea, didn’t it?”

 

25\. — _words_

“and, here i believed that you might have cared.” / “what’s there to care about? you?”

 

26\. — _love_

there were no words for them to say, nor a need to say them.

 

27\. — _skies_

hecate makes lights to hang over the underground, and the twins give her a sky in return.

 

28\. — _stars_

they count the stars their mother hangs in the sky, and everyone of them they give a name.

 

29\. — _lucky_

“you know, thanatos, i think we’re lucky.” / “why do you say that?” / “because we didn’t have to have zeus as a father.” / “how true you are, brother.”

 

30\. — _shake_

thanatos’ laughter shakes him all over, and hypnos can’t help but grin as he watches his twin. “i do not see what is so funny here.” / “you, a father? it is the most amusing thought in the world.”

 

/

 

**fin.**

 


End file.
